Nam's Life

Dreams

2009-03-10T18:04:58Z

Dream: Staying at a community house where everyone was staying at. We were all dressed in some sort of uniform or costume (unrecognizable design/insignia, but it was definitely non-military).At some point I run to the bathroom and have a really long pee. I get out and I see the woman of my dreams* (figuratively, literally, you name it) and we have a little chat.
"Do you want to... go in the room?" I ask her hesitatingly.
She gives me a look and finally nods with eagerness. We hold hands and we enter the room.
It seems to be a community room, with about 6+ beds. One of the other individuals was rustling around, but quickly left the room as soon as we entered.
I stared into my loved one's eyes and hold her tight. She is very beautiful and looks back at me with those eyes that I longed to see looking back at me.
I have all this emotional/romantic desire built up... and then I wake up.

Dream: Running around in a futuristic city-like Chinatown, with close/tight car maneuvers and parking spaces. People can teleport from location to location using rubbery teleportation tubes (looks like those balls with rubbery arms coming out, but works like Starcraft nydus canals without the creep).
I get out of a parking spot and I evade a couple crazy drivers, take a couple tight city turns in true Initial D style. From there, I end up being chased in a car, then on foot, through teleportation tubes.

Dream: Bathrooms have a secret connection to other bathrooms in the world. When one person (in the dream, I did) discovers that writing on the tiled bathroom walls can get you seemingly random messages from other bathroom walls. I showed a couple girls what I had discovered and they were completely freaked out. Would you be? Then I "exit" the dream by entering a teleportation tube from the previous dream.

*It's actually someone I know.

Clumping all these survey things together...

2009-02-18T19:25:22Z

Okay, here’s what ya do! Make a new note and copy and paste everything and change the answers to yours. Then tag me and whoever else you want to send you one! EASY! DO IT! Its fun and funny to read.

I'm clumping all these together. There is a temporal differential while doing this (differential of about a week and a half).

10 things I wish I could say to ten DIFFERENT people right now:
1. If only you lived near me, then I can show you that I can party! I know you'd like it.
2. I'm sorry things didn't work out for you- but good luck for the future. I think you should have stayed in school and finished before you got a job.
3. I'm not a very bitter person that holds grudges, but I make the exception for you. I'm still bitter from how you treated me in the 7th grade, just because I told you that I liked you- I didn't deserve that. I hope you see this too, because you are my friend on FB.
4. I'm glad I met you and got to know you a little bit. If it wasn't for you, I would have never been able to be around a great group of people.
5. I still have your Christmas gift in my back seat, but we never hang out. You never call/text/message me back. It's no wonder why I've given up trying to hang out with you.
6. I told you so.
7. I'm glad we talked the other day. I know you're not used to it, but I'm willing to be there and take care of you whenever you need, because I love you. : )
8. I'm glad you're still my friend. I don't ever regret callng a high school with an anonymous tip. I was always happy to see you enjoying yourself any time after that. I put a slight smile on my face every time I talk with you.
9. I feel like you need to get out more. Be adventurous. Ask a girl out.
10. I hope you're happy with your current situation in life. I don't want to say that you messed up your life... but I think you know.

9 Things about myself:
1. I get queasy easy. I like House, but some scenes are hard to watch. I can easily watch violent death, but when it's medical stuff- I get queasy.
2. I hate wasting time. Mine, and others'.
3. I probably own in excess of 100,000 cards.
4. I'm a hopeless romantic. I'll serenade you, if you don't watch out.
5. I love the company that I am currently employed at!
6. I'm a needy/touchy-feely guy.
7. I'm a jealous person- but not when people hang out with other people... but usually of what others have (in terms of non-stuff haves, if you understand that at all). I want that.
8. I jump to conclusions.
9. I like helping people, but I am a firm believer that I can't help anyone else unless I'm happy first. So sometimes I may seem selfish, but I think it's healthier for everyone in the long run.

8 ways to win my heart:
1. Eyebrows. Anyone who knew me when I was single will understand this one.
2. Intelligence, Charisma, Dexterity (!?)... be nerdy/geeky.
3. When you give me a gift, give me something thoughtful or something that takes effort. I loved my Christmas present, BTW, girls. :-D
4. Cook me a meal. This is a cumulative effect. : )
5. Make me laugh. Be funny/cheesy/silly/corny/perverted/ridiculous.
6. Be expressive with yourself: sing songs, don't be afraid to dance, share your thoughts.
7. Overcome obstacles, your fears, your inhibitions. Be ambitious, have goals, and works toward fulfilling them.
8. This may be effeminate, but I'll say it anyway. Holding me when I need to be held. I need touch like this in a relationship. Don't judge me. : P

7 things that cross my mind a lot:
1. Jessica
2. Love
3. Friends/people
4. Starcraft
5. Video games
6. Songs
7. Efficiency/optimization

6 things I do before I go to sleep:
1. Eat
2. Play Video Games
3. Watch Starcraft
4. Brush my teeth
5. Think
6. Have the desire to cuddle

5 people who mean a lot to me:
1. Jessica
2. Richard
3. Mom
4. Duy
5. So that you're not offended... YOU. : D

4 things I'm wearing right now:
1. Clothes
2. Glasses
3. Shoes
4. Smile

3 songs I listen to often:
1. Miss You - M-flo
2. Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquai
3. (and of course) Kiss from a Rose - Seal

2 things I want to do before I die:
1. Be part of a great family.
2. Create something for a form of entertainment media that is greatly appreciated.

1 confession:
1. I spent a large amount of money for Valentine's weekend.

Things you have done during your lifetime:
(x) Gone on a blind date
(x) Skipped school
( ) Watched someone die
(x) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
(x) Been to Florida
( ) Been to Hawaii
(x) Been on a plane
( ) Been on a helicopter
(x) Been lost
(x through?) Gone to Washington, DC
(x) Swam in the ocean
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
( ) Played cops and robbers
( ) Recently colored with crayons
(x) Sang Karaoke
(x) Paid for a meal with coins only
( ) Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't.
(x) Made prank phone calls
( ) Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
( ) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose & elsewhere
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
( ) Danced in the rain-naked (there's always more rain)
( ) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
(x) Gone to the movies
( ) Been deep sea fishing
( ) Driven across the United States
(x) Been in a hot air balloon
( ) Been sky diving
( ) Gone snowmobiling
( ) Lived in more than one country
(x) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(x) Seen a falling star and made a wish
( ) Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
( ) Seen the Statue of Liberty
( ) Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
( ) Been on a cruise
(x) Traveled by train
( ) Traveled by motorcycle
( ) Been horse back riding
( ) Ridden on a San Francisco Cable Car
(x) Been to Disneyland
( ) Been in a rain forest
( ) Seen whales in the ocean
(x) Been to Niagara Falls
(x) Ridden on an elephant
( ) Swam with dolphins
( ) Been to the Olympics
( ) Walked on the Great Wall of China
( ) Saw and heard a glacier calf
( ) Been spinnaker flying
( ) Been water-skiing
( ) Been snow-skiing
( ) Been to Westminster Abbey
( ) Been to the Louvre
( ) Swam in the Mediterranean (sp?)
( ) Been to a Major League Baseball game
( ) Been to a National Football League game

1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS.. HOW DID YOU GET IT?
- It was a chicken pox scar.

2. WHAT IS ON THE WALLS IN YOUR ROOM?
- I'll be a smart@$$ for this one. Wallpaper.

3. DO YOU SNORE, GRIND YOUR TEETH, OR TALK IN YOUR SLEEP?
- Talk definitely and apparently grind my teeth.

4. WHAT TYPE OF MUSIC DO YOU LISTEN TO?
- Whatever I like. It's hard to pin point.

5. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN?
- Sometime between 10 and 11 am.

6. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW?
- Cuddle with Jessica.

7. WHAT DO YOU MISS?
- Simple life, playing video games with close friends.

8. WHAT IS YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION(S)?
- Card collection (barring the information contained on computers).

9. HOW TALL ARE YOU?
- 5 feet 10 inches.

10. DO YOU GET CLAUSTROPHOBIC?
- Not really. There is such thing as being uncomfortably crushed however.

11. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK?
- Not at all. I'm more afraid of things that can hurt/kill in the dark.

12. THE LAST THING THAT MADE YOU CRY?
- Last thing that actually made me cry? My last break up. The last thing that made me want to cry? Desire that can't be satiated.

13. WHAT'S YOUR WORST FEAR?
- Being alone.

14. WHAT KIND OF HAIR AND EYE COLOR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX?
- Dark hair... black pupils and white corneas. Iris doesn't matter so much. I like them all. :-D

15. WHERE CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF BEING PROPOSED TO AT?
- I'll be the one proposing. I'll wing it when the time comes.

16. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINK?
- Energy drink because I don't really like coffee that much.

17. FAVORITE PIZZA TOPPING(S)?
- Pepperoni and sausage.

18. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
- It's BWWs night. I'm going to eat wings in about an hour.

19. FAVORITE COLOR OF ALL TIME?
- Blue. Dark blue.

20. HAVE YOU EVER EATEN A GOLDFISH?
- Yes (the snack, not the creature).

21. WHAT WAS THE FIRST MEANINGFUL GIFT YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED?
- I don't know. I'll have to think about that one.

22. DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH?
- Definitely. Her name is Jessica.

23. ARE YOU DOUBLE JOINTED?
- Nope.

24. FAVORITE CLOTHING BRAND?
- Cheap (cost, not name), but I will buy nice clothes here and there.

25. WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE FEMALE/MALE CELEBRITY?
- I can't really say, because I don't know.

26. DO YOU HAVE A PET RIGHT NOW?
- I think we've got a BeccaTobin that flies in an out of HOWZ once a while. She sometimes brings a JamesCoyne, and I make her play fetch with it.

27. WHAT KIND IS IT?
- Anti-climatic follow-up.

28. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS LEAVING?
- I want to say that love knows no bounds. If you love the person, whether they're leaving or not, you love the person.

30. SAY A NUMBER FROM ONE TO A HUNDRED:
- Crap, the last person said what I was going to say ("A number from one to a hundred") but I guess I'll choose either pi or e.

31. BLONDES OR BRUNETTES?
- Brunettes all the way. : )

32. FAVORITE QUOTE?
- I have many.

33. FAVORITE PLACE?
- Depends on the situation/the mood/the company.

34. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE USA?
- Canada. I don't know if that counts.

35. YOUR WEAKNESSES?
- Jessica.

36. MET ANYONE FAMOUS?
- Yes. But the famous scale is very small.

37. FIRST JOB?
- Rides at Canobie Lake Park.

38. EVER DONE A PRANK CALL?
- Yep.

39. DO YOU THINK EVERYONE OUT THERE HAS A SOULMATE?
- I don't think EVERYONE does, but I'm sure most people do.

40. WHAT WERE YOU DOING BEFORE YOU FILLED THIS OUT?
- Working.

41. HAVE YOU EVER HAD SURGERY?
- Not really. I did have my wisdom teeth taken out.

42. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST?
- How funny/silly I am... how good my parties are... how good I am with numbers... how good I am at certain kinds of video games...

43. HAVE YOU EVER HAD BRACES?
- Back in middle school for 2.5 years.

44. WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY?
- More quality ("physical") time with Jessica. Hey, get your mind out of the gutter!

45. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT AND THEIR NAMES?
- 1 or 2. I haven't thought about names- but there are some names I wouldn't name my kid. But I do want some say.

46. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
- Nope.

47. WHAT IS THE BIGGEST TURN OFF OF THE OPPOSITE SEX?
- Stupidity. Caked up make up.

48. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU LIKED ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL?
- I liked almost all of high school. I couldn't complain. I felt good.

49. WHAT KIND OF SHAMPOO DO YOU USE?
- Pert Plus.

50. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
- Yep.

51. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
- Beef. Like... burger beef. I don't think a cold cut could ever be my favorite "lunch meat" even though some of them are very good.

52. ANY BAD HABITS?
- I get stupid sometimes.

53. ARE YOU A JEALOUS PERSON?
- I wouldn't say so, no.

54. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
- Why not? I would think I'm an amicable guy.

55. DO YOU AGREE WITH FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS?
- This is always a fishy a question. If you're single, depends on how far around the baseball diamond "benefits" encompass. If you're not, then not at all (obviously).

56. DO LOOKS MATTER?
- Yes. Looks aren't everything, but they matter to some extent.

57. HOW DO YOU RELEASE ANGER?
- Usually talking it out. As of late, "hugging" it out. Other than that, I play strategic video games (where some sort of destruction occurs).

58. BEAR FACT?
- Grizzly Bears are a 2/2 green creature that costs 1G.

59. WHAT'S YOUR MAIN GOAL IN LIFE?
- To do the most I can, the very best that I can... to affect the lives of others (including, but not limited to "the system").

60. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD?
- Probably the T7 Eliminator that I could only have working for about a week because it was such a low quality product... but it was the coolest thing ever.

61. HOW MANY NUMBERS ARE IN YOUR CELL PHONE?
- Too many. Last time I counted the numbers in the A section of my cell... it was 40.

62.WERE YOU A FAN OF BARNEY AS A LITTLE KID?
- I watched it with some amusement, but I can't say I ever really liked it. If you want to know what I was really a fan of... definitely Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers.

63. Do you use sarcasm?
- Pft! I don't use sarcasm at all!

64. MASHED POTATOES OR MACARONI AND CHEESE?
- Where's the beef!

65. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN A GUY/GIRL?
- The whole package. It's not one thing that makes up that person. It's the sum of the parts. If you're asking what initially attracts me to a woman, that's a totally different question. : P

66. WHAT ARE YOUR NICKNAMES?
- I've had a ton over the years. The one I didn't really mind was AZN. All the other ones, I'd rather not share.

67. FAVORITE SUPER POWER?
- I've thought about it for years... and it's too hard to decide.

68. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW?
- I don't really watch TV, but I watch House religiously with my HOWZ. My actual favorite show is probably some 90's sci-fi show.

69.WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH YOUR ENEMIES?
- Do better than them and make then jealous. Then befriend them.

70. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR?
- Cookies 'n Creme

71. DO YOU HAVE ALL YOUR FINGERS AND TOES?
- Last I checked...

72. DO YOU HAVE A COMPUTER IN YOUR ROOM?
- I have 3 laptops. One or two of them are usually in my room.

73. PLANS FOR TONIGHT?
- Costume for my own party.

74. WHERE DO YOU WANT TO LIVE WHEN YOU ARE OLDER?
- With my loving wife. I have to get married first though. Somewhere that I enjoy- but I'd settle for being with the loving wife, because I'd go anywhere she was.

75. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS?
- Doesn't matter to me.

76. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?
- Work chatter.

77. LAST THING YOU DRANK?
- Water.

78. LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
- Brad.

79. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IN THE OPPOSITE SEX
- Face (priority break down into: eyes, hair, lips) then figure/clothes.

80. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME?
- Hang out, play video games, play card games, do things to help people out, watch movies (haven't been doing much of that lately)...

81. FAVORITE THING TO HATE?
- Certain kinds of people (hypocrites, liars, con artists, ignorant, stupid, etc...)

82. FAVORITE SEASON OF THE YEAR
- I like them all really.

83. WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE TYPE OF CANDY?
- Perhaps Skittles, but I don't eat candy that much in general.

84. HAVE YOU EVER REALLY AND TRULY HAD A BEST FRIEND?
- I've had a few. It seems to change every few years except for my one best friend that I think will always be my best friend. And that's Duy.

85. WHAT IS YOUR HAIR COLOR?
- Seemingly black.

86. EYE COLOR?
- Brown.

87. SHOE SIZE?
- 9.5

88. FAVORITE FAST FOOD PLACE?
- Probably Taco Bell. It would be Mighty Taco, but the closest one is a 45 minute drive away- I hardly call that fast.

89. FAVORITE RESTAURANT?
- BWWs, mostly because I have so many fond memories there.

90. DO YOU LIKE SUSHI?
- Yep. But I can't eat sushi from some places, like Wegman's. It just... doesn't taste right to me.

91. WATCH TV TODAY?
- Nope. I hate TV.

92. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR?
- Any day I get to spend time with Jessica. : )

93. PLAY ANY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS?
- Not really.

94. REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT?
- Apathetic.

95. KISSES OR HUGS?
- Kisses. : D

96. RELATIONSHIPS OR ONE NIGHT STANDS?
- Relationships. No doubt about it.

97. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU BOUGHT?
- Wings from BWWs last night (finished this thing the next day, so that's why there's a temporal discrepancy).

98. WOULD YOU EVER BE A HOUSEWIFE?
- Nope. I would be the "stay-at-home" husband though.

99. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING?
- Not really reading any ATM.

100. DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE:
- It's a bit personal. It's good and bad, but I'm taking it one step at a time. It's easier with Jessica beside me. : D

Enjoy the Movies - simple RSS, and thought

2009-01-30T04:40:53Z

popular "new" Asian Martial Art Movies
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
House of Flying Daggers
Iron Monkey
Hero
Curse of the Golden Flower

I've almost stopped using LJ. FB is more real-time. I'm all about real time. :-D

"Next time, order the shrimp." ~fortune cookie that Becca got

"It's a stalemate. The mating is even staler." ~Duy
"That's what she said." ~Nam

Stuffs!

2008-12-15T02:55:34Z

"I want the black man to come back." ~GameStop Girl

"He's a single pianist." ~Jessica

xhistoryx (11:12:29 PM): I work at BJ's off of Hard Road
xhistoryx (11:13:08 PM): yeah, it's on the corner of Hard and Ridge

Meat cake, linked from Em

Bike Hero, linked from Brandon and/or Todd

Edited my want list to include a router and Age of Empires 3, but took off the girlfriend:
http://lukerson59.livejournal.com/274423.html

For those who don't know... I got a girlfriend. : )
Her name is Jessica. She's awesome. I'll tell you more about her some time.

Bunch of pics from various events in December '08.

My updated list of wants?

2008-11-30T01:19:01Z

I just copied over my Christmas list from from last year and edited a bunch of things.

For Me!
Tangibles
- brand new car (Subaru? Nissan? Mazda?)
- brand new computer (laptop preferably)
- PS3 (and Eye of Judgement game!)
- PSP (with DJmax portable [1 and 2]- it's a Korean music game )
- the rest of the triple triad collection (I need cards numbered: 94, 97-104, 106-110)
- Sliders TV show (already have SSN 1+2, need 3+)
- All of Babylon 5 TV show (including Crusade spinoff!)
- high capacity MP3 player
- wireless mouse and/or wireless keyboard (I don't have bluetooth. : \ )
- House (SSN 4, I already got SSN 1,2,3 on Black Friday for really cheap)
- Electric razor
- box of Original Kettle cooked Snyder potato chips (from the midwest)
- Linksys router
- Age of Empires III

Carcassone expansions (I already have all of the other ones)
- the Cathars
- the mini expansion
- Count, King and Consorts expansion

Magic cards (playsets are 4x card)
- booster box of any of the latest block set
- playset of Force of Will
- playset of Underground Sea
- any and all of the P9 cards (the original 5 moxen, Ancestral Recall, Time Walk, Timetwister, Black Lotus)

UFS cards (playsets are 4x card)
- playset of Infiltrating
- playset of Penny Arcade
- playset of Power Ups
- 1x Moonbeam Slicer

Pokemon cards (playsets are 4x card)
- booster box of any of the lastest 4 expansions of Pokemon
- playset of Venonat and Venomoth

Non-tangibles
- Pete and Pete (SSN 3, doesn't exist yet)
- 30 hour days
- Short stories/poem written by my friends for me (and for me to post on LJ... or better- performed in a video on youtube!)
- CD song compilation that you think I'd like (not necessarily on a CD, but some sort of song compilation- CD would be most convenient)
- A dedicated Starcraft opponent at about my skill level (hard to find because everyone's either worse or better than me)
- Something neat and creative with CCGs (and/or cards of CCGs; like made up cards, new/balanced rules for games, or a different way of playing)
- Donate money to the Child's Play Charity
*- and of course, a girlfriend ; D

* (I really want this one. :-D )

Halloween pics and video are up!

2008-11-24T08:26:53Z

"I associate marriage with constant ass." ~Rise, Starcraft commentator in a Starcraft commentary

lego USB drive (COOL!), linked from Mindy

PICS!:HOWZ Halloween pics, a la my photo bucket

VIDEO!:Nam's Halloween '08

I'm officially done now...

2008-11-19T18:12:23Z

I inquired on whether I needed to do anything else for graduation a couple days ago (just in case they missed something AGAIN)... and here's the email I got back:

"You do not need to reapply for graduation and it looks like you finished up your class so everything should be in order for certification of your degree for fall quarter 20081."

BAM. When I get the darned piece of paper, I'm going to make a youtube video.

The usual...

2008-11-19T07:30:38Z

This is hilarious..., linked from reddit.com

(1)
(2)
AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Bicentennial Man
When Harry Met Sally...
I'm Reed Fish

(1)
(2)
88 Minutes
August
Go-Getter
Run Fat Boy, Run
Talk to Me

Miscellaneous and Movies!

2008-11-09T23:25:24Z

Funny geeky thing... (linked from Danica)

AWESOME! (linked from Em)

CREEPY (linked from Em)

Breaking up is hard to do for voles. (linked from Em)

Abby (1:31:09 AM): thansk
Nam (1:31:18 AM): Thansk!

"Shelley, what if I get brain cancer?" ~Pizza Hut employee

"Is it some glazed jelly thing?"
"A donut?"
~ guys I heard talking on the MMO Dom was playing

Movie Reviews
City of Angels
From Hell
Toys

MOAR Movie Reviews
Chipmunk Adventure
Changeling

STARCRAFT UPDATE: Science and Technology Study of Starcraft: How Starcraft Affected the World

2008-11-02T10:17:45Z

So recently, I had a bad week (about a month ago), and I went to a party. Some of my friends there had gone to Blizzcon and one of them told me that he had something to cheer me up. He gave me a SC2 beta key. :-D
So, needless to say, I was rather gleeful.

In other news, I recently sent a PM to my favorite Starcraft commentator (CholeraSC) after he put up a series of videos about the history of Professional Starcraft, telling him about my paper. I decided to do an update for it.

Science and Technology Study of Starcraft: How Starcraft Affected the World
By Nam Ngo

History
Starcraft is a futuristic, science fiction, real-time strategy game where players control up to three races (named Terran, Protoss and Zerg) in order to gather resources, build an army and annihilate the enemy. The real-time strategy game (RTS) genre is a type of game that is similar to games like chess, except that there is no semblance of a player’s “turn,” because actions are taken as quickly as a player can make them on the computer. Starcraft is a widely successful game, whose sales reached 9.5 million units in ten years since its release in 1998 (Schiesel). Starcraft in itself, may seem like just a simple game that people would play for entertainment, however, it has far greater reaching effects than many people would realize.

Let us first begin by exploring the background of this game’s creator, a company known as Blizzard Entertainment. This California company is a small division, consisting of over 250 employees, of a parent company called Vivendi Games. Despite its relatively small size, it has done a lot to bring the highest quality of software entertainment to its fan. It maintains a highly profitable business model and business relations. One of Blizzard’s strongest supporting partners is the nation of South Korea.

Korea’s flagship game of choice is, not surprisingly, Starcraft. What most people don’t know is that this game alone pushed the small nation of about 40 million people to demand an infrastructure to deliver cheap, fast broadband internet access across the nation in homes, game rooms and cyber cafes (Business Wire). Because of this, South Korea is the most wired country in the world. The quick internet speed that spread across the nation, a new industry sprung up: e-sports (which stands for “electronic sports,” given to the profession of competitive gaming). It has emerged as one of the most popular pastimes in the nation. Tony Tsu, the associate producer of the sequel game entitled Starcraft II in an interview with PC Zone Magazine, explains why Koreans love Starcraft so much: “Well, they took the game to a totally different level, one that I don't think anybody really expected. They were able to micro-manage everything, and do crazy stunts with units that nobody ever thought could be done” (Porter). Because of the new industry, South Korea became the founder of the World Cyber Games (WCG). Each year the WCG holds a competition for gamers. It might not be such a large event to the general public and the world at large, but to the gaming community, it is the equivalent to the Olympics. The WCG game selection has changed every year, except one game has remained on the roster for years because of the Korean fanbase. You guessed it- it’s Starcraft (Che). To give an example of how relatively popular Starcraft is, see if you can imagine this: Baseball is South Korea’s national sport. When they had the national baseball final in 2006, there were about 25,000 spectators in attendance. Unfortunately, that event took place during the same weekend as Starcraft final which drew about four times as many spectators (about 100,000) to the event (Stuart).

Standardization, Creating Order, and Following Rules
You might be asking yourself, how does a computer game like this become so popular and organized so that it basically becomes a sport? Well, many definitions of the word “sport” require that physical activity be a prerequisite for something to be a sport. However, chess is one of many board games that does not require physical activity, but can be considered a sport of sorts, for the mind. In the United States, Texas Hold ‘Em Poker has become a popular card game to elicit coverage from the sports television network ESPN. So a sport is an activity that is governed by a set of rules and regulations (Sport).

There is strict standardization and rule enforcement in the game engine, as well as community support for official guidelines for tournament game play. In chess, both players start with an identical number and type of pieces and relatively similar starting position because there is no choice as to what kind of army one can have. In Starcraft, there are three different kinds of armies to choose from. In chess, starting positions are nearly identical, but starting positions in Starcraft are not. These spawn points might vary and can greatly affect the outcome of the game. From this point it is then left to the players to adapt their style of play to the game. This is just one of the many ways that Starcraft is standardized for tournament play.

Starcraft is a piece of software. Software generally has pieces of code in it which interacts with other code and some might cause some unexpected behavior. While players play the game, they might come across a programming glitch or bug that allows a user to exploit something that is not meant to be used during normal game play. In these situations, to maintain in-game integrity, standards must be enforced. Within the game, all components must follow rules to maintain a standard atmosphere to play in. At times like this, Blizzard Entertainment releases patch updates (free for all who own the game and simply connect to their online gaming server called Battle.net) for players who need their Starcraft software fixed. Here are a few particular examples of items that address issues for standardization from various patch updates:
- Fixed a replay saving bug that occasionally crashed games.
- Fixed crash that can occur when SCVs are repairing a unit boarding a Dropship.
- Fixed bugs related to Korean chat on Windows 95/98/Me.
- Reduced Spider Mine research cost to 100 minerals, 100 gas.
- Reduced the cooldown for units on unload from a transport.
- Added right-click feature that will set your building rally point.

There are potential exploits, as well as balance issues to be corrected within the game. Technical patch updates would include fixes for the software to prevent game crashes. One can only imagine how important it is not to allow the game to crash. Korean chat was important to fix because Blizzard needed to keep good relations with the nation that has basically selected its game as a sport. Other patch updates changed game logic for balance purposes or added new features. Without these standardizing factors, there would not be any player community because no one could trust playing with others. There would be too much variation between copies of games and there would be an imbalance between opponents. Blizzard must remain objective in its decisions so that it does not make anything within the game more powerful than the other, because everyone must play fair.

In many tournament leagues, records of winners and losers are kept, as well as records of the game being played itself. If the game was not recorded on any of the networks, the Starcraft game has a built-in replay feature which allows a replay file to be viewed again later on any computer with Starcraft installed on it. These files are generally reviewed to ensure fair play. Also in tournament play, there is a set of maps selected for tournaments. These maps create the metagame. The metagame is a broad term used to describe a general set of strategies currently pertinent to the competitive atmosphere. The metagame changes with different sets of maps in order to keep the game new and fresh for tournament players. Like in poker, players may use different strategies or bluff about their strategy. Depending on your opponent, games can be quick or lengthy.

Expertise and Public Understanding
Within the South Korean community, because of the Starcraft popularity boom, e-sport stadiums were built where spectators could come and watch these tournament matches played live.

Large Korean corporations set up teams just to participate in e-sports. Players are treated very much like players of sports teams: roster changes, able to be traded, etc. Two of the largest corporate sponsors are both competing telecommunications companies: Korea Telecom Freetel [KTF] and SK Telecom [SKT] (Scorus). The most famous Korean corporate sponsor known in the United States is Samsung. These teams each house some dozen or more players who train for at least ten hours a day in apartments filled with networked computers. “It’s work, not fun,” says Lim Yo-Hwan, an SKT player who is arguably the most famous Starcraft player in all of Korea. Lim Yo-Hwan goes by the player handle “Boxer” and has fielded a fan club for his innovative style play and amazing micro-management (Evers).

The metric for measuring game productivity is APM, actions per minute. Actions include a keyboard stroke or a mouse click, drag or scroll. Most casual Starcraft players clock in at around 60 APM. Lim Yo-Hwan has been known to reach speeds of 400 APM (which is between 6 and 7 actions per second). That is a speed in which thought about the user interface mechanics does not interfere with pure thought about the game and a player’s instincts takes over. Pro gamers like Lim Yo-Hwan can easily make a couple hundred thousand USD in annual salary and game winnings, and that doesn’t even include endorsements. In a country where the average income is about $20,000 USD, pro gamers are like celebrity movie stars (Fong).

One might wonder why so many people enjoy watching others play a game. Those who watch typically understand the general rules that govern the game and can see how actions the players take will affect the outcome of the game. If someone did not understand, then just being around Korean media will bring you up to speed, because after each match, the players are interviewed on their thoughts and strategies while playing a game (Evers). Every pro Starcraft player is definitely an expert on Starcraft, but so are the spectators. Koreans get excited for a “great play” in Starcraft. They understand the rules and get excited when something tense happens in a game. It’s the stereotypical group of American men watching football. It’s the same in Starcraft. Not just men watch Starcraft, women watch it too. It is not unusual to see female fans fill the front rows of games where they cheer on the players that they adore and love (Evers).

Rhetoric and Discourse
Starcraft, like any other topic with intricacies and depth, has its own rhetoric and discourse. There is vocabulary involved that is not just easily understood by just anyone. If someone told you that “there is a 1v1 match on an island map,” you could probably figure out that it is a one on one battle set up in a location representative of geographically disjoint land segment. However, things get more complex when you use the phrases such as “scouting”, “zerg rush,” “splash damage,” and “go for a drop.” Scouting refers to exploring the enemy base and clearing the fog of war to determine which strategy the opposing player is going to attempt. Zerg rush referring to one of the quickest possible attacks on an opponent. Splash damage referring to the non-normal type of damage some units attack with. Going for a drop refers to the mechanic of creating a flying unit that carries grounded units around and dropping them in a strategic position for attack. But even these phrases, the casual gamer could understand. At the highest level of professional play, there is great critical analysis and commentary on game play decisions made by players. There is talk of “builds,” “macro/micro[-management],” and “proxy.” At that point, if you are not an RTS or Starcraft aficionado, you might get lost within the language without a guide of some sort.

Professional Starcraft play has been around long enough to see strategies based on historic plays of the pro gamer community. Famous maneuvers or strategies are named after players. Some such phrases are “Boxer micro,” “Savior muta harass,” or “Bisu-build.” These phrases don’t just include players’ names, but also give testament to the extraordinary skill that these players possess. Along with such history, there are Starcraft commentators who narrate Starcraft games as though they are sports games. Many of them are Koreas who live and participate within the pro gaming industry. Others, notably English commentators who have viewers outside of Korea (non-Korean Starcrafters are considered "foreigners"), have created a community online through the video sharing site Youtube. Some of the most prevalent English language Starcraft commentators on Youtube are diggitySC, CholeraSC and moletrap.

Because of the popularity of Starcraft, it has spread to various parts of the world. TeamLiquid.net is one of the most prominent websites dedicated to Starcraft hosted in the United States. Starcraft has even paved a path for professional gaming in England (Stuart). There is a strong community of gamers, players and commentators that enjoy Starcraft all over the world. They get involved and talk with each other, discussing strategies and holding tournaments. They are enjoying their time spent because of the one thing that they have in common: their enjoyment of Starcraft. The depth of strategy, variety and professional support allows them the language of Starcraft players to be used to communicate.

Conclusion
In the end, Starcraft is more than just a game, but a cultural phenomenon that has had widespread influence in national economies, an entire industry and the general population as a whole. In 2007, Blizzard Entertainment announced the production of their second title of the series, Starcraft II. It is in some players’ hopes and dreams that this game will bring e-sports to the forefront of the gaming industry in the world. Others hope that Starcraft II will simply be a great game; that is all a game needs to make a player community. Starcraft II just needs a beginning, and history will write the rest.

Glossary
Bisu – Kim Taek-Yong, famous Protoss player known for his famous build order
Boxer – Lim Yo-Hwan, famous Terran player for being the father of innovative play
building – a representation of a structure, which passively affects game play
choleraSC - English Starcraft commentator: http://www.youtube.com/user/CholeraSC
diggitySC – English Starcraft commentator: http://www.youtube.com/user/diggitySC
drop – a mechanic where a flying unit carries ground units and dispatches them
fog of war – the hidden darkness of unexplored map regions in a RTS game
macromanagement – the routine actions taken to maintain game play effectiveness: resource gathering, building and unit production
map – the terrain in which the battle will
metagame – broad term used to describe a general set of strategies currently pertinent to the competitive atmosphere
micromanagement (“micro” for short) – the reactive capabilities of a player to use his units as effectively against the opponent; the use of abilities, unit groupings and action queuing
moletrap – English Starcraft commentator: http://www.youtube.com/user/moletrap
muta – an abbreviation for Mutalisk, which is a flying, military Zerg unit
Protoss – one of the three races in Starcraft; represented by highly technological aliens
proxy – an advanced game strategy that requires building a military unit production building closer to an enemy base to feint actual location, or save unit transit time to the enemy base
resources – the materials that need to be collected within Starcraft in order to make buildings and structures; consists of minerals and gas
RTS – acronym for “real time strategy” which is a genre of game
rush – a quick attack usually intended to end the game early or disrupt the opponent
Savior – Ma Jae-Yoon, famous Zerg player for having incredible timing and game sense
scout(ing) – the unit or act of exploring a map, typically with intention to use the information to determine future strategy
spawn point – the initial starting location on the map a player starts at
splash damage – normal damage hits a single targeted unit or building; splash damage is when the units adjacent to the target also receive some sort of damage
TeamLiquid – website dedicated to the Starcraft community: www.teamliquid.net
Terran – one of the three races in Starcraft; represented by humans
unit – a representation of a mobile entity that actively affects
Zerg – one of the three races in Starcraft; represented by bug-like aliens

Bibliography

Blizzard Entertainment – Company Profile. ©2008 Blizzard Entertainment. 11 May 2008
http://www.blizzard.com/us/inblizz/profile.html

Business Wire. “Blizzard Entertainment's StarCraft Series Tops 1 Million Sales Mark in Korea; Korean Gamers Flock to Game Rooms to Play Blizzard's Fast-Paced Real-Time Strategy Hit.” 21 October 1999. ©1999 Business Wire. 11 May 2008
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_1999_Oct_21/ai_56697235

Che, Christina. “South Korea Wired Youth: Teens enter rehab to cure web addiction”. 29 November 2007. Teen Lab at Alcatel-Lucent. 11 May 2008
http://teenlab.blogspot.com/2007/11/south-korea-mobile-youth-teens-enter.html

Evers, Marco (translated to English: Sultan, Christopher). “South Korea Turns PC Gaming into a Spectator Sport.” ©2006 DER SPIEGEL (Speigel Magazine Online International). 11 May 2008
http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,399476,00.html

Fong, Mei. “Don't Tell the Kids: Computer Games Can Make You Rich.” 21 May 2004. The Wall Street Journal Online. 11 May 2008
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB108508466637517166-IVjgINhlad3m52rZYCIa6aGm4.html

Porter, Will. “Blizzard on all things Zergling-related.” 14 August 2007. PC Zone Magazine. 11 May 2008
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=170086

Schiesel, Seth. “To the Glee of South Korean Fans, a Game’s Sequel Is Announced.” 21 May 2007. New York Times. 11 May 2008
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/21/technology/21warcraft.html?_r=1

Scorus, Valentin. “Korean Pro StarCraft Teams Undergo Roster Changes.” 30 January 2008. ©2007-2008 Pro Gam3r Magazine. 11 May 2008
http://www.progam3r.com/?p=135

Sport – Wikipedia. “Sport.” Wikipedia. 11 May 2008
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport

Stuart, Keith. “Get ready for sports to turn Unreal.” 3 April 2008. © Guardian News and Media Limited 2008. 11 May 2008
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/03/games.news

Links

Boxer’s crazy SCV + Medic + Marine Rush

Flash’s crazy rush

Romantic mood today...

2008-10-27T01:50:02Z

So I watched City of Angels today. Before I do my movie reviews, I just have to take one solid moment and think about how romantic this is. I want to feel something as compelling as this.

"I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss of her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it." Seth (Nicholas Cage), City of Angels

My Casino Bus Trip at Niagara

2008-10-22T16:28:42Z

Casino Bus Trip (part 1)

Casino Bus Trip (part 2)

I actually didn't gamble, so I came out ahead! You'll see what I ended up doing instead.

Kyle's First Gig

2008-10-19T16:50:01Z

My intro...
Kyle's First Gig (part 1)

Mostly music from the band:
Kyle's First Gig (part 2)

Kyle's First Gig (part 3)

Robin Williams movie reviews, and links

2008-10-11T01:34:30Z

Enjoy the Movies - Robin Williams movies (part1)
RV
License to Wed
One Hour Photo
What Dreams May Come
House of D
Final Cut

Enjoy the Movies - Robin Williams movies (part2)
Jumanji
Man of the Year
Dead Poets Society
Patch Adams

The Real Patch Adams site

lolcat Jones soda, Em found this one

Dance is part of rehabilitation at Philippine prison
You can watch most of those videos on this youtube channel.

Why not...

2008-10-07T04:35:11Z

At the age of 18, being a resident of NH and not being present in the state to register at an opportune time, I did not vote in the 2004 presidential election. New Hampshire is stupid because tons of other states make it ridiculously easy to register to vote ONLINE. New Hampshire requires that you register in person at your town hall. I wasn't aware of it at the time, and when I figured it out in October of 2004, it was too late for absentee ballots (which need to be mailed out a month ahead of time).

I'll be proud to say that I'll be voting for the first time this year (finally). :-D

I never really cared about politics... but this year, I might just have to. In recent years, more issues directly affect me- now that I am older and not just a student anymore. That and things like the economy, technological issues (video games as a legitimate media, internet neutrality, etc...) and a slew of other unmentionable things (because of scope) now matter.

Now, not to put a mockery on this election- but really, this year's election is something else. Look on the bright side, I can now tell my future children that my first vote in a presidential election was in that one with the women and the black man. Very descriptive. :-D

All right, next election, I want to see an Asian man running for US President (but I'd settle for a Kenyan, 400 babies and Anna Kournikova).

My life is interesting... even if it's just to me.

2008-10-03T03:56:44Z

"I've been playing other people's relationship doctor, but I can't doctor mine." ~Nam
"Have you ever seen a doctor operate on himself?" ~Dom

Movie Reviews for:
Being John Malkovich
Casshern
Eagle Eye

Foil Project: Here it is...

2008-09-22T16:30:59Z

A while ago, there was a Foil Project video put up by one of my roommates, Dustin.

I asked him to give me the file so that I could throw music on it, and do some minimal editing, and put my commentary in (I put in text commentary). Without further ado, I now present to you, a re-edited Foil Project video!

The Foil Project (with commentary!)

Links and movie reviews

2008-09-20T06:45:53Z

Cuil Search Engine

If this guy can do spins, there's no excuse for anyone else not to.

My friend Emily told me this is a k001 card game: Pagat

Movie Reviews
Core
21
Green Street Hooligans
Green Mile
Jesus Christ Vampire Hunter

Links all over the place

2008-09-14T00:13:23Z

Nam goes to PAX Part 1
Nam goes to PAX Part 2
Nam goes to PAX Part 3 - noobtoob Kicklefest
Nam Goes to PAX (part 4) - miscellaneous and concerts!
Nam Goes to PAX (part 5) - noobtoob at Gameworks

What if you could only own 100 things?

Current Events
Kinda old news, but if you have an old Nalgene water bottle... since then, I've gotten a new one. It still uses plastic #7 for the bottles, but it's BPA free now. The texture of the bottle itself does not feel as smooth or sturdy as the older one, but it's seems just as good and resilient.
http://media.barometer.orst.edu/media/storage/paper854/news/2004/02/17/News/Nalgene.Plastic.May.Be.Harmful-2298859.shtml
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/18/business/18plastic.html?_r=2&ref=business&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24200402/from/ET/
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A625024
Doomsday device?
Hawking assuages things

Funny
Hello Kitty Online; I couldn't believe this existed when I heard about it. I was wrong.
Pokemon that sound like drugs
Bloodninja (hilarious)

Special Interest
Business Casual is so vague nowadays...
Awesome West Coast Swing
RIT was pretty ugly for a college campus, let's see what happens after all the innovation renovations happen

Links, PAX and movie reviews

2008-09-08T05:56:27Z

I've come to the conclusion that my LJ has become a manual RSS feed. LOL

Some links of potential interest:
Musicshake
io9
Em is amused by them

PAX part 5!
Nam goes to PAX 08 (part 5) - noobtoob at Gameworks

Movie reviews.
Movie reviews...
Drillbit Taylor
Empire Records
The Wizard
Nerdcore Rising
Jack

Featured: PAX pics!

2008-09-06T06:43:19Z

WARNING: there are a LOT of pictures under cut

Here's the front/side entrance of the Seattle Convention Center

Champions Online cosplayers

Tribute to Tobin from some noobtoobers

Zack (FFVII) needs some stuff

She's good looking... except for the creepy eyes

Black mage

This guy used to live at HOWZ

I didn't recognize him, but he's there

PAX 08 World Map!

Kicklefest begins

NES fixed!

Another angle

Kickle!

Cubicle!

Thinking Hard about a Kickle puzzle

Tobin's Kickle bling

Yuzo's Kickle bling

Taking a break from Kickle... Brawl random was set to also be able to choose bas custom stages

I was bored enough to do this

I saw somebody sporting a University of Rochester sweater!

Final Kickle non-bonus puzzle stage

Final Boss in Kickle Cubicle

noobtoob infests gameworks

noobtoob girls from the UK

Insert yourself here

Okay!

Represent!

Huge group pics!

Nerdy/geeky concerts! PAX part 4

2008-09-06T05:38:13Z

Nam Goes to PAX (part 4) - miscellaneous and concerts!

Part 3 is live!

2008-09-05T06:34:59Z

Nam goes to PAX Part 3 - noobtoob Kicklefest

Second installment of my fun weekend adventure! (and links!)

2008-09-03T05:26:48Z

Okay guys, here's part 2 (it's pretty much everything else in the Exhibit Hall)!
Nam Goes to PAX (part 2)

Important issues:

This is related to the Viacom thing

Who is to blame? Viacom or Youtube?

Random interesting/fun links

Big Dog

Boy recovers from liquid nitrogen poisoning; who's dumb?

Rat brain robot

You've Been Rolled, in a different way

Interesting Animation- Western Spaghetti

One stop novelty shopping at mcphee

First installment of my weekend adventure!

2008-09-02T14:12:54Z

Nam Goes to PAX '08 (part 1)